Returning from school to the fishing village.

A collection of nearly 50 colour photos by French photographer Nicolas Cornet featuring the life of Vietnamese people is on display at the L’Espace French Cultural Centre in Hanoi.

Balloon seller in Hue.

Entitled ‘Standing Up, Life Passes’, the exhibition is a story portrayed via photos, some of which have recently been shot and some others date back a long time ago. As a story told by photos, Nicolas Cornet’s exhibition brings to the viewers imagery that goes far beyond the mere level of reportage and instead concentrates on evoking atmosphere and thought.

“For me, an inspiring image is very important. It makes the viewers think about their own stories in their own life, said Cornet.

Eating ice-cream at the Sunday market, Bac Ha.

“In my images, I present places, situations, light and ambience that let the viewers’ spirits wander,” he added.

Born in 1963, the French photographer has worked with a number of photography magazines in Italy, German and France. In the past ten years, he has expanded his job to Europe as well as Asian countries such as India, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, China and North Korea. He has also been to Vietnam many times.

Dressing for Church.

In addition, Cornet has published two photography books about Vietnam, one in 2004 and the other in 2007.

The exhibition runs until April 24.

By DIEU THUY